cover image Help!

Help!

Allan Ahlberg. Random House (NY), $3.95 (28pp) ISBN 978-0-394-87190-5

Those two British funny men outdo themselves at inventing visual and verbal nonsense in their series, Red Nose Readers. Screaming-loud colors suit the furious actions described in the minimal texts of three stories. A boy (identified by a tag on his wrist) awakens and yells ""Help!'' when a robber (also wearing a tag) sneaks into the bedroom. The robber yells for help when a gorilla appears to threaten him, then a monster scares the gorilla, etc., until the boy gets an idea that routs the whole gang. The following two entries are equally absurd and amusing. The other three little board books Ahlberg and McNaughton invite beginners to enjoy and learn from are Happy Worm, ISBN 0-394-87196-0 ; Fee Fi Fo Fum, ISBN 0-394-87193-6 and Big Bad Pig, ISBN 0-394-87194-4 ; 3.95 each. (47)